Sony launched the Sony Xperia Z4 in Japan a few weeks ago as an upgraded smartphone with a high-end processor, but fans didn’t seem to be content with what the company gave them in 2015. The Xperia Z4 is currently the Japanese flagship smartphone of the company, with the global flagship being announced today in the form of the Sony Xperia Z3 +. Even if tech enthusiasts and smartphone fans were convinced that the Xperia Z4 would be launched in the United States, Sony’s strategy seems to be different with the Xperia Z3 +.
Today, the Xperia Z3 + was announced as the global flagship from Sony, and as one can probably tell from its name, the smartphone isn’t entirely new, rather an upgraded version of last year’s release, the Xperia Z3. Although the Japanese smartphone manufacturer didn’t change much, the new smartphone has all that it needs to compete with current flagships from Samsung, LG, Apple and Google.
The Xperia Z3 + release date is set for June, when the smartphone will become available for purchase in online retail stores such as Amazon and BestBuy. The announcement was done on the official Sony blog, where the company detailed the build, design and specs of the new gadget. According to the official blog post, the Xperia Z3 + will feature the most recent hardware in a thin, light build that will appeal to fans looking for a premium smartphone.
Sony decided to go with tradition when it comes to the design and features of the Xperia Z3 + and as such, people looking for a premium smartphone will appreciate the device’s IP65/68 waterproof certification which became a given with Sony products in the past few years. A thin and light design is the mantra of the new Xperia Z3 +, as it measures only 6.9 mm in thickness and weighs only 144 grams and is crafted from metal. One notable improvement to the chassis is that the USB flaps have been replaced with a capless USB port, but the magnetic charging pin has also been removed to facilitate the slim design.
Performance is key for the company and in the smartphone industry, which is why Sony opted for the 64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU, which can be found in the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and the LG G Flex 2. 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage are also available, alongside LTE Cat6 and a 2930 mAh battery. According to Sony, the Xperia Z3 + battery life will be two days, which is consistent with previous releases.
The Xperia Z3 + display measures 5.2 inches and comes with a 1920*1080 resolution. Although QHD seems to be the preferred resolution in 2015, Sony probably decided that they would rather have an FHD display and conserve battery life more efficiently, which is a strategy that fans seem to appreciate about the company. Naturally, the smartphone OS is Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, so users will be getting Material Design and all the features that Google’s new OS brings.
Since Sony is most famous for their camera technology, the Xperia Z3 + camera had to be as good as the competitions’. In consequence, the phone comes with a 20.7 MP Exmore RS sensor capable of 4K video recording on the back and a 5 MP Exmore R wide-angle selfie-camera on the front of the device. Optical Image stabilization is not included, but there is SteadyShot video stabilization available to make those 4K videos as smooth as possible.
The Xperia Z3 + will be available as a dual-SIM and single-SIM variant upon launch, according to the company, but price has not been disclosed as of yet. Even if the new flagship is not the Xperia Z4, the new Xperia Z3 + seems like a comprehensive smartphone that has all that is necessary for it to be able to compete in the market. Probably the most appreciated features of the phone will be the rear camera and the waterproof certification, but performance should be just as exemplary. We’ll have to put it to the test!
